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Posted on: September 14, 2012

Stay fit and healthy through the fall with our Mayor's Wellness events

With vacations behind us, many people are getting back to the grind of day-to-day life. In the midst of everything else going on in our busy lives, it’s sometimes easy to lose track of what’s really important, particularly when it comes to our health.

That’s where my Mayor’s Wellness Campaign comes in. As I’ve written in the past, Mayor’s Wellness is all about incorporating healthy habits into our daily lives. That doesn’t mean setting lofty goals to lose a lot of weight, or starting some extreme diet or exercise routine; rather, it’s taking smaller, common-sense steps to improving ourselves.

The goal of the program is education; it’s about giving residents access to resources and programs that they will find enjoyable and valuable.

In the coming months, the Township is partnering with other organizations in the community to present a variety of programs – many that are free of charge – that aim to educate, while making healthy living accessible and, of course, fun.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, we will kick off our “Walk with the Mayor” series at the Cherry Hill Mall. From 8 to 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of every month, I am inviting residents and their friends and family members to come out to the Grand Court (near Nordstrom) and take the roughly 2-mile walk around the mall’s interior with me. While there, participants can take our pledge to get active, enjoy healthy refreshments, and enter for a chance to win a prize.

Later this month, the Katz JCC will launch an exciting new program, called Girls on the Run. A subsidiary of a national organization by the same name, Girls on the Run is intended to build self-esteem and self-awareness among girls ages 8 to 11.

The 10-week program includes a curriculum of dialogue and running games. The goal is to encourage friendship, while offering discussion points that include emotional health, nutrition, the importance of rest, positive attitude and personal values. Sessions begin Sept. 23 and are held twice a week – from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Sundays and 6 to 7:15 p.m. Thursdays – at the JCC, 1301 Springdale Road. Registration is $100 for JCC members, and $140 for non-members.

Participants are invited to take part in a celebratory 5K run in mid-November. The program’s organizers stress that the focus is less on running itself, and more on building confidence and personal strength. Registration is due Sept. 19; contact Jayne Miller-Morgan at (856) 424-4444, ext. 1140, or email jmorgan@sfedsnj.org to sign up. More information is available on our Mayor’s Wellness page at www.CherryHill-NJ.com.

Finally, we have partnered with both Wegmans and ShopRite to offer a series of free, healthy cooking classes that run through the spring. Wegmans classes begin Sept. 11, and are held at 6:30 p.m. at the Croft Farm Arts Center. Dates and complete information are available on our website. Classes are filling up quickly, so register today to secure a spot!

Township events and programs offered through our community partners are always being added to the Mayor’s Wellness page at www.CherryHill-NJ.com; there, you will also find helpful wellness tips and a list of our community partners. You can also subscribe to receive new events via email via the “Notify Me” section of the Township website.

For more information on the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign or any of our upcoming events, please call my office at (856) 488-7878 or email us at MWC@chtownship.com.

I am very excited for what we have planned in the coming months. I hope you’ll take some time to check us out, and take our pledge to get healthy and stay active!